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Doan searches for new team

Two weeks after his self-imposed deadline of July 9, as he awaits news on the sale of the Phoenix Coyotes, free agent right winger Shane Doan finally started meeting with other teams interested in his services.

Doan’s priority remains to re-sign with the Coyotes, but he’s already received contract offers from several clubs. These recent meetings indicate he’s preparing for the possibility of moving on if there is no resolution in the Coyotes ownership situation soon.

Should the Flyers sign Doan, and if their 14-year, $110-million offer sheet to Nashville Predators defenseman Shea Weber goes unmatched, they’ll have to clear some cap space before the start of this season (whenever that may be) to comfortably absorb the two contracts.

It’s expected they will place Chris Pronger (post-concussion symptoms) on long-term injury reserve (LTIR) to free up nearly $5 million to take on Weber’s anticipated $7.8-million average annual salary.

The Flyers would have to find more cap space to sign Doan, perhaps by trading away a salaried roster player.

WEBER SIGNING GIVES BLUE JACKETS LEVERAGE OVER RANGERS

According to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, their efforts failed because Weber was unwilling to live in Manhattan.

If the Flyers successfully sign away Weber from the Predators (who have until Wednesday night to match), Brooks believes Columbus Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson will try to use that as leverage in trade talks with the Rangers over right winger Rick Nash.

Rangers GM Glen Sather has been interested in Nash for months, but is unwilling to pay the Blue Jackets’ steep asking price. Howson may be hoping the Flyers’ addition of Weber will sway Sather into reconsidering his position.

If Sather can land those two, it would significantly shift the balance of power in the Eastern Conference to the Rangers’ favor.

FLYERS-PREDATORS TRADE COMING DOWN THE PIPE?

A theory making the rounds suggests if the Predators cannot afford to match the Flyers’ offer sheet to Weber, they’d try to work out a trade to mollify a fan base upset over losing both Weber and Ryan Suter, who signed with Minnesota earlier this month.

The supposed deal would have the Predators offer back two of the four compensatory first round draft picks they’d receive from the Flyers in exchange for a couple of players.

If the Flyers need to free up cap space to bring in an additional player such as Doan, they would consider it.

For now, of course, it’s only speculation as the hockey world awaits the Predators’ decision.

Rumor Roundup appears Monday-Friday only on thehockeynews.com. Lyle Richardson has been an NHL commentator since 1998 on his website, spectorshockey.net, and is a contributing writer for Eishockey News, Kukla's Korner and The Guardian, Charlottetown.